Movable floor for elevator cars



J. RlcE' MOVABLE FLOOR FOR ELEVATOR CARS Fil-ed March 4, 192"! 4 7 x m e 5" r OF A. E f L 1 w H, W 090 2 h z w m y w m T. Q w flw w 4 f a rm fi I l W 5. 6 III w k%w\w\ m M, L 3 M A "A Z i Paten tecl Oct. 16, 1928. i

UNITED STATES 1,687,794 PATENT OFFICE.

JGSEPH RICE, or CHICAGO, ILLINoIs, ASSIGNOR To ELEvAron COMPANY or AMERICA, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION or ILLINOIS.

liIOVABLE FLOOR FOR ELEVATOR CARS.

Application filed March 4, 1927. Serial No. 172,717v

My invention relates to movable floors for elevators and more particularly to means whereby such a liner may be utilized toefl'ect a controlling influence over the car control.

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lily invention is particularly applicable to elevators of the type which areoperated by the user. These elevators are generally thepush button type whereby the operator of a push button corresponding to a floor of the building will automatically cause the car to move to that particular floor and stop. In apparatus of this kind, there is a' door for the hatchway and also a door proed upon the car, and the control mechanism is so arranged that the useris'unable to move the car unless both the hatch door and the car door are closed; The reason for provding this double door structure is to prevent accidents caused by leaving one of the doors open. It sometimes happens that when a o er leaves the car, he forgets to close the door to the car but does close the hatchway ooor. In this case it would be inmossiliile for any prospective user desiring to use the car to hring'it to another floor as the control apparatus isleft inoperative hccause of the open car door.

'To avoid this contingency, I provide a movable floor within the carwhich is so arranged that when one or more persons stand i upon this floor, an-electric switch mechanism which is in parallel when theswitch mochanism of the car door isopen, so that before a user within the car can operate it, it is necessary for both the car door andthe hatch door to he closed. However, if the car is emptyand standing at a floor, then the movable floor moves back into its circuit closing position so that the switch mechanism controlled by this floor andjwhichis in parallel with the switch mechanismcontrolled by the car door. ill permit operation of the car from another floor so longas the hatch doors are closed. This makes it necessary in order for the car to operate that in all instances the hatch doors must be closed and in addition the car musteitherbe unoccupied or i the car. door must be 'closed.

It is a purpose of my invention to pro vide a movable floor within the car for accomplishing the above results and m addltion to provide means which will maintain the floor in the proper position when the car. is empty and Wlll perm t a slight load to i is shown in the left asshown in Fig. 2.

movethe car floor into the position which requires'the car door to be closed before the carcan be moved.

One form which my invention may take' the accompanying drawings wherein i7 Fig.1 is atop vfew ofthe car floor showing its'relation to the car framework and the hatchway, certain portions theiioor being broken away to-more clearly reveal features of construction; and

Fig. 2 is a sectionon the Fig. 1."

In accordance with my vide a car fran'iework 10 consisting preferably of four s'des, top and bottom, the bot-- tom portion of the framework being shown at llv The car is in a hatchway surrounded by the wall 12 and a hatch door 13 controls the entrance to the door opening 14. The hatch door 13 is designed to short circuit a pair of contacts, of which one the con-- tact 15-is shown, whenever this hatch door is in its closed position. The closure of the circuit through the contact l5 closes the circuitthrough wires 16 and 17. The cooperation of these wires with other circuits will be presently explained.

The car also has ,a collapsible door 18 which is shown in its open position in Fig.

1 but which, when closed, is adapted to close platform at its lower portion preferably carries a-plurality of inclined frames 23. These Inclined frames are preferably arranged parallel to similarly inclined'frames 24Lprovidec1 on the car framework. Interposed between the two frameworks and 24: are the balls 25 which form a bearing so that the frames works 23 may roll over the frameworks 24:. By th s construction, it will be noted that if the weight is placed upon the platform 22, the platform will move downwardly and to Such action of the platform will be against the pressure exerted by thelever 25. This lever is pivotally mounted upon the car framework as at 26 and has the horizontally extending portion 27 carrying the weight 28 which is sufficient 11115 2 2 of v invention, 1 pro- 7 when the ar is empty to move the platform 22 to the right by exerting a horizontal force through theroller 29 and stop 29 upon the platform. When the platform is in the position shown in Fig. 1, a circuitis closed across two spring backed contacts 30 and 31 which are insulatingly mounted upon the car framework. 2

The construction and arrangement of the spring contacts and 19 is similar to that disclosed for the contacts 30 and 31. The contacts 30 and 31 are insulatingly mounted in "a support 32 secured to the car framework. The platform 22 carries a contact plate 38 which when in the position in Fig. 1., short. circuits the fingers 30 and 31 so as to complete a circuit through the wires and 35. Now, whenever a weight is placed upon the floor or platform 22, such as that of a light person, the platform 22 moves downwardly against the action of the lever and 01 ens the circuit through the'contact-s and 31. The wires 3 lnnd 35 as shown are connected in parallel with the wires 20 and 21. The conductor 17 is then connected to the conductors 21 and 35 and the conductor16 extends away from the car and controls suitable mechanism which permits or prevents the operation of the car. A further conductor 36 which is connected to the conductors 20 and 34 extends in parallel with the conductor 16. The arrangement is such that the circuit across conductors 16 andv 36 must be completed before the car can be operated and under these conditions a circuit must be completed through the spring contacts 15 and either through the spring contact 19, or the spring contacts 30 and 31 as was explained in the introductory part of the application.

A ledge 39 is provided upon the car floor which limits themovement of the car floor in response to the action of the lever 25. A similar ledge 40 at right angles to the ledge 39 also limits the downward movement of the floor when a weight is placed thereon.

From what has been described, it is thought that the nature of my invention will be clear to those skilled in theart and the advantages thereof will he readily apparent. It will also be apparent that modifications may be made from the exact details shown without-t leparting from the spirit of the invention and I wish it to be understood that I intend to avail myself of all such modifications as come within the scope of the claims.

Having thus described one form which my inventioi'r may take, what I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A car having a framework, a movable floor carried by said framework, car control mechanism responsive to the position of said floor, means for movably carrying said floor on said framework, said means including "an inclined rumvay, a weighted lever pivoted to said framework and means on said floor cooperating with one end of said lever whereby the downward movement of said weighted lever tends to move said iioor upwardly along said runway.

2.,A car having a framewcuk, a movable floor carried by said framework car control mechanism responsive to the 130:. tion of said floor, means for movably carrying said floor on said framework, said means including a plurality of parallel inclined runways, and a lever pivoted to said frau'iework having one end weighted and the other end engaging said floor to urge said floor upwardly along said runways.

3; A car having a framework, a movable floor carried by said framework, car control mechanism responsive to the position of said floor, means for movably carrying said floor on said framework, said means including a plurality of inclined runways and means. comprising a stop on said floor and a lever pivoted to said framework having a roller at one end engaging said step and a weight pressing said roller against said stop for urging sald floor upwardly along said runways.

' 4:. A car having a framework, a movable floor carried by said framework, car control mechanism responsive to the position of said floor. means for movabl carr 'iiw' said floor i h on said framework, said means incliuling an inclined runway, a stop depending from said floor, a weighted lever pivoted to said framework and having one end engaging said step for urging said floor upwardly along said runway. v

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 14th day of l ebruary, A. D. 1927.

JOSEPH RICE. 

